What % of the Military = Minorities? Women?

[goclark]

When the high raking military MEN (I have not seen even one woman) speak before congress how many are Minorities? Women?

Are any of the Generals in Iraq Minority/Women? I don't see any Spokespeople that happen to be African American/ Latino? Asian? Women?


Am I missing photo ops with Minorities/Women as spokespeople for the group? Every time I see anyone speak it is always a White Man.

Are White Men the only people fighting in Iraq? Are they the only people dying in Iraq?

Maybe the color is not working on my TV. :crazy:
Maybe because they are all wearing pants, I can't tell the men from the women. :crazy:

[soothsayer]

1. according to a feb 4 wash post article: 21% black, 38% minority

snip
The analysts found that 21 percent of military personnel are black, compared with 12 percent of the general population, and that they tend to work in areas away from the front lines, in roles such as administration, combat support and medical and dental care. "I would say that the perception that African Americans suffer more would be wrong today, as opposed to years ago," during the Vietnam War, said Curtis L. Gilroy, a senior analyst for the secretary of defense.

snip
Walters and other observers note that 38 percent of the military's 1.1 million enlistees are ethnic minorities, while they make up only 29 percent of the general population. In the largest branch, the Army, the percentage of minorities approaches half of all enlistees, at 45 percent.

African Americans alone account for nearly 30 percent of Army enlistees, according to Defense Department statistics compiled in 2000. Latinos represent 9 percent of the Army and 12 percent of the population. Black women comprise nearly half the Army's enlisted women.

Black soldiers also reenlist in far greater numbers than white troops, according to a 1997 Department of Defense survey. Activists say that is because minorities face more obstacles to employment in a society where corporations discriminate against them.

snip

much more at link
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A21039-2003Feb3¬Found=true

[Karenina]

2. I wonder what the demographics are

for commissioned officers.

[goclark]

8. Good question Katrina

If they are in administrative roles that should surely allow them to be more visible.

[BlooInBloo]

18. 90%+ white. Duh. Oh - and male.

[Orsino]

5. Faulty conclusion.

The analysts found that 21 percent of military personnel are black, compared with 12 percent of the general population, and that they tend to work in areas away from the front lines, in roles such as administration, combat support and medical and dental care. "I would say that the perception that African Americans suffer more would be wrong today, as opposed to years ago," during the Vietnam War, said Curtis L. Gilroy, a senior analyst for the secretary of defense.

No support for that conclusion. No data on what constitutes "front lines," and no demographics for those jobs. If this senior analyst really believes that "front line" service is egalitarian, he could back up that statement.

[goclark]

7. Then why don't I see them on my television

Why are they always back ground ( one or two) in all the photo ops.

Where are they?

[Orsino]

9. I could say that that's a separate issue...

...but I believe that we both know that it's not, really.

[goclark]

10. Bngo! It is one and the same issue

The Invisible Soldiers in the Iraq War.

Same as before.

[Orsino]

12. How we gonna keep 'em down on the block...

...once they've been on CNN night vision? :puke:

[goclark]

6. How come we don't see more of them on television

in leadership roles?

The motivation for my original posts was a superb PBS special on the African American soldiers in a segregated army. It was shocking to see and hear the horror that they endured and still they fought bravely.

The way that the Tuskegee Airman were treated was a crying shame!


When I read a clip from your posted article, it seems that is exactly what happened to African Americans in the segregated Army, with a new twist, this is the 21st century and the Armed Forces should know better....

Why do they tend to work away from the front lines? Why don't we see them in leadership roles on television? In Congression hearings?

Remember in the beginning of the Bushwar we saw a handsome general, African American, that was a superb spokesperson? He was even "articulate" and that should surely have allowed him to stay front and center with the cameras. But ---he disappeared. :(

So now, unless I can't see the screen with my glasses, there are NO minority spokespeople.

We see how they used, and he gladly let them, Colin Powell! He is a sad chapter in this saga.

Quote from the article...."tend to work in areas away from the front lines, in roles such as administration, combat support and medical and dental care."

[Crabby Appleton]

3. Well, there's this one, Janis Leigh Karpinski

Fromer General (Now Col. ) Janis Leigh Karpinski was demoted from Brigadier General in the aftermath of the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse scandal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janis_Karpinski

[goclark]

4. Thanks for the info, no demotions for the Males?

She is the one that told the TRUTH -- right?

[genie_weenie]

11. CENTCOM CO General Abizaid.

Former Brigadier General Kapniski (sadly The CO of Abu G) is a woman.

[Sapphire Blue]

13. "... out of 318 generals in the Army today, only 26 (eight percent) are black."

Addressing the Challenge of Black Officer
Underrepresentation in the Senior Ranks of the U.S. Army
Lt. Colonel Anthony D. Reyes

The U.S. Army is extremely diverse and draws its strength from the contributions of that ethnic and cultural diversity,” observed retired General Eric K. Shinseki, Chief of Staff of the Army from 2001-2003, in internal correspondence regarding representative leadership across the force on April 30, 2003. Despite the strength derived from such diversity, however, the Army continues to exhibit disproportionately low numbers of black officers in its senior ranks. According to the General Officer Management Office (GOMO), out of 318 generals in the Army today, only 26 (eight percent) are black. In addition, the number of black officers recruited into the U.S. Army through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), the Army’s largest commissioning source, has fallen for both sexes. However, black males remain underrepresented with respect to the male officer population, while black females are substantially overrepresented with respect to the female officer population. For the purpose of this article, I focus on the specific problem of the decreasing pool of black males recruited by the ROTC and their underrepresentation in the senior ranks of the Army. First, current recruitment and commissioning efforts are examined. Potential strategies are then identified for enhancing these efforts in order to increase the number of black officers commissioned and subsequently advanced to the top ranks of the Army.

Building the Bench

If we are to increase the number of black officers at the senior level, we must increase numbers at the cadet and junior officer level—i.e., build the bench. Building the bench means ensuring that the black officer population is large enough to be representative. According to the U.S. Army Demographics office, that would be equivalent to at least 22 percent (the percentage of blacks in the U.S. Army). In the near term, however, a more realistic goal would be 12.3 percent (the percentage of blacks in the U.S. population). Building the bench also requires that that same representative population is of a high enough quality to achieve field grade (major through colonel) and general officer rank.

After ensuring both quantity and quality, the next step in building the bench is to increase the desire among more black cadets to serve in one of the combat arms branches as opposed to combat support or combat service support. The majority of our general officers today are products of one of the combat arms branches. GOMO reports the background experience of these general officers breaks down as follows: 59 percent are from combat arms branches, 13 percent are from combat support, and 12 percent are from combat service support. The remaining 16 percent are split among the Special branches (three percent), the Army Medical Department (four percent), Acquisition (six percent), and Reserve Components serving on active duty (three percent).

Continued @ http://www.jointcenter.org/publications1/focus/FocusDetail.php?recordID=554

[goclark]

14. The Invisible Men and Women of the Armed Forces

Sapphire thanks so much for always giving us information that adds to our awareness of current issues.

Seems like I'll need to call the powers that me, including the NAACP to stay updated.

I want to see VISIBLE MINORITIES, if we can DIE for this country, we can SPEAK for this country and be HONORED for the work that we do.

[Karenina]

15. Found in my cyberkeller:

April 2, 2002, 12:12AM

ELITISM VS. RACISM?

Some see efforts to diversify Special Forces as lowering of standards for sake of image
By RON KAMPEAS
Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Special Forces have always prided themselves on how hard it is to become a member. For some black SEALs, Rangers and Green Berets, staying is tougher than getting in. With Special Forces having become the face of the U.S. military in the Afghan war, leaders are sensitive to the fact that those faces are overwhelmingly white, and they are recruiting in minority neighborhoods.

The problem, some say, is the attitudes black recruits face once inside. "It was like being the only black in a Harley-Davidson gang, as out of place as you can be," said retired Lt. Jake Zweig of his short, tumultuous stay in the SEALs. "It was horrendous."

The SEALs have acknowledged "pockets of racial insensitivity" and have appointed a minority recruitment chief with authority to veto bigoted candidates.

The crux, all agree, is the elitism that defines the "special" in Special Forces. "SEALs are very sensitive about lowering standards and letting in people who are not up to the standards of what a Special Forces warrior should be," said Lt. Cmdr. Darryn James, a spokesman for Navy Special Warfare.

Such talk riles Army Brig. Gen. Remo Butler, a Ranger who is now the highest-ranking black soldier in Special Forces.
"That's code for `You're not quite as smart, you're here because you're getting a break somewhere,' " said Butler, who heads Special Operations Command-South in Puerto Rico.

The armed services are often held out as standard-bearers for integration. Blacks -- 13 percent of the U.S. population -- make up 20 percent of the military. But they are less than 4 percent of Special Forces.

...There's much more but the article is old and I couldn't find a suitable link. PM me if you want the rest of it.

[goclark]

16. Thank you Katrina ~ that is exactly what I'm talking about

In the PBS/History Channel Salute to Blacks in the Military they talked about how "unwelcome" the Black Soldiers were in the mostly White units in Viet Nam. They were isolated from the activities and experienced HUGE "pockets of racial insensitivity."

Nothing much has changed on my television.

My young cousin is in the Army and he said that he can't wait to get out. He is headed for Iraq in August and is now in the South. He said the Army promised him that if he reenlisted they would let him finish his schooling.

He watches White soldiers get the opportunity but not him.
He also said that if you mention to many of the White soldiers that you are a Democrat, you are in for a world of trouble.

Maybe that is an isolated incident but I don't think so.

[Karenina]

17. Do you recall the treatment of Shoshana

when rescued by her fellow Americans?

[Karenina]

19. Funny how THAT fell down the memory hole.

I'm CERTAIN she's been forbidden to speak of it.

[goclark]

20. Karenina thanks for reminding us about Shoshana

Did she ever get any of the money that she deserved?